COACHING STAFF

Logan Hughes | Assistant Coach

Logan Hughes, the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the baseball Panthers, is entering his fourth season on the DU staff in 2016-17.

Hughes was a big part of Drury Baseball posting its best season in the program's history in 2014, as the Panthers set a school record for victories (44-13), captured their second Great Lakes Valley Conference championship and advanced to the title game of the NCAA-II Midwest Regional, falling 4-2 to eventual national champion Southern Indiana in the championship contest.

Hughes, who works largely with the DU hitters, helped orchestrate a squad that ranked among the nation's D-II best with a final .347 average, with eight Panthers batting .350 or better. That included senior All-America outfielder Nick Thimesch, who shattered several team records with his .464 average, 104 hits, 15 doubles, 53 RBIs and .558 slugging percentage (on top of 33 stolen bases in 35 tries). Drury struck out just 220 times in 57 games and 1,878 at-bats, or once every 8.5 at-bats, one of the best ratios in the nation.

Hughes is a Branson native who played collegiately at Missouri-St. Louis and spent five seasons as the top assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at NCAA-II Wayne State (Mich.) before returning to his native area to coach the Panthers. He was also an assistant coach at UMSL from 2005-07 and at College of the Ozarks in 2007-08.

Hughes was a juco All-American in 2001 while playing at North Arkansas, where he batted .511 with 15 homers and 76 runs batted in (and was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006).

He later earned All-GLVC and All-Region honors in 2004 as a third baseman at UMSL, and most notably, was named the GLVC Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year in both 2003 and 2004 and the Richard Scharf Paragon Award winner as the league's top student-athlete in all sports after his senior year.

Hughes is married to the former Janessa DeMuth and they are the proud parents of Luke David.

Eric Peterson | Assistant Coach

Entering his third season with the Drury Baseball coaching staff will be Eric Peterson who serves as the Panthers' pitching coach.

Peterson, a native of Lawrence, Kansas and a former Assistant Coach at Eatern Michigan.

"Coach Peterson knows everyone in the Midwest, and his connections in Kansas will play a big role in our recruiting efforts in the future. He will take control of and expand our pitching camps ... we had a record turnout this past summer, but are looking forward to expanding our efforts in the area to more of those kids in need of pitching instruction."

Peterson, a former left-handed pitcher, is a graduate of Pittsburg State University, where he finished his playing career after starting it for one year at the University of Kansas.

Peterson's collegiate coaching career began after graduation with Pitt State before stops at Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College, Niagara University, the University of Kansas and Eastern Michigan, an NCAA Division I member. Other coaching experiences included time as assistant coaches with the Topeka Golden Giants of the MINK League and Edenton Steamers of the Coastal Plains League and as head coach of the Chillicothe Mudcats, also of the MINK League. His 2012 Chillicothe squad established new team records for victories and staff ERA.

Gage Jacobs | Assistant Coach

Entering his second season with the Panther coaching staff for the 2016-17 season will be former standout Drury reliever Gage Jacobs. Jacobs was the Panthers top closer during his career and posted 19 saves which ranks second all-time in his two seasons. Gage made 50 appearances and threw 65.2 innings. He tied the single season save record with 13 his senior season and had 51 strikeouts and walked just eight with 21 earned runs.

Jacobs led the GLVC in both saves (13) which tied the school record and appearances (29) breaking the school record in his 37.0 innings on the mound. He was ranked sixth in the nation for total saves and was sixth in the country for total appearances. Gage had a 3.65 ERA with 24 strikeouts and a season best three vs. Southern Indiana (5/9/15). Was an ABCA Midwest Region Second Team honoree and was a Second Team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference selection his junior campaign.

Gage came to Drury from Johnson County Community College where he was a top reliever who had a 2.38 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 35 innings his sophomore year. In his two seasons at Johnson County he racked up 90 innings of action and had a combined 2.84 ERA with 108 strikeouts.

Was a Two-time All-Conference First Team selection, Two-Time All-Ozarks and Two-time All-State selection for Bolivar High School. Named Conference Co-MVP and Pitcher of the Year in the COC in 2011. Set records at Bolivar for wins in a season (7), complete games (8), innings pitched (64), lowest ERA for a season (0.89) and strikeouts per inning (2.0). Had two no hitters with one coming vs. Fair Grove in Districts.

Luke Tewes | Graduate Assistant

Fellow Drury standout and Lincoln, Nebraska native Luke Tewes joins the Panther coaching staff in 2016-17 as a gradaute assistant after helping Cowley County Community College in Kansas to the World Series last season. . . While at Drury Luke hit .377 for his career which tied Nick Thimesch for the best career batting average all-time by a Panther and also is the career slugging percentage leader at .610 and has the top career on base percentage for a Panther (.488) . . . Had 18 homers good for third all-time at Drury and had 146 hits, 109 RBIs which is sixth all-time, 75 runs, 40 walks and 32 career doubles. . . Also stole 5-of-7 bases. . . His senior season Tewes earned First Team All-Midwest Region (NCBWA) National College Baseball Writers Association and First Team All-GLVC honors. . . Also named third team Academic-All American by Capital One . . . As a junior Luke earned ABCA Midwest Region Second Team honors and was a Daktronics Second Team All-Midwest Region honoree while being named a First Team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference selection and twice earning GLVC Player of the Week. . .Prior to Drury Luke played at Iowa Western Community College and played his highschool ball for Waverly High School in Lincoln, Nebraska.